Many in the industry had anticipated its arrival, and, sure enough, at the beginning of this month, a No Supreme Court sports-betting ban decision was issued regarding the federal prohibition appeal taken up by the state of New Jersey.
In fact, there had been odds placed on the exact date the ruling would eventually be delivered. Fifty percent of the bets guaranteed the exact day that U.S. citizens would hear of the decision as to whether all sports gambling would be remaining prohibited in the country, with the exception of four states.
The Current State of Play
So, what is this ban all about? It is all primarily concerned with PASPA and New Jersey lawyers. PASPA, or the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act, is responsible for preventing the spread of sports betting across the United States. Its measure comes as a result of the vast expansion of sports betting as well as that of gambling legalization and developments throughout the country.
The argument is based on the 1992 act, which made gambling on all professional and collegiate athletics illegal. However, gambling is not illegal in four states. Those states are Montana, Delaware, Nevada, and Oregon. The reason for these states being excluded is because, at the time the law was passed, they already had legal sports wagering in place.
A Possible End in Sight to This Battle
It is the constitutionality of PASPA that New Jersey is concerning itself with, and the state is enthusiastic to challenge it further. However, it has been suggested that there are many state representatives and officials who are not to keen on having the federal government decide which states can offer sports wagering.
The argument is indeed based around the selectiveness of some states being allowed to offer such prospects and others cannot. There are many who simply believe this to be the most unfair decision made in such a progressive society as the one we live in today.
Suggestions are rife that the best outcome would be to allow the states themselves to determine their own sports-betting laws instead, thus making it an equal process for all the 50 states.
Place Your Bets
Despite the ongoing battle for justice, in this case, the markets have been benefiting tremendously from this case. The online exchange Predictlt has been kept especially busy throughout the case. PredictIt is an online exchange that allows players to bet on the likelihood of all political outcomes, buying and selling shares in the meantime. In this case alone, the market has been extremely active.
Looking Forward
With so much riding on the outcome for PASPA and New Jersey, as well as those who are placing bets on the final decision, there are some possible outcomes laid out on the debating table as to how it may end. Currently, the options on the table for consideration include:
- New Jersey could find its laws being ruled illegal. This would mean it has no grounds to repeal a federal regulation as a state.
- The act could remain enacted in other states. However, in accordance with the Commerce Clause, it could find New Jersey repealing any federal statutes, as would be its right to do so.
- The ban could be entirely repealed if it is determined that PASPA in in violation the 10th Amendment. This would indeed be the one to watch because, in its 229-year history, such an amendment has only ever been cited four times. Such a decision if passed could then pave the way for a colossal number of other states-rights issues.
